Cambodia

The Temples of Angkor are the epitome of Khmer architecture and a source of fierce pride. (I dont know if they talk about this in Western news, but the Thai initiated a really stupid border despute over a Khmer temple on the Thai/Cambodian border, which was built by the Cambodians and has been theirs for centuries! It is just maddening to me that the Thai government wants to start a long arduous expensive dispute with a poor country that has endured such great hardship. Especially something that petty. So ridiculous.) In any case, the architecture at Angkor Wat, the main attraction is startling and gorgeous. Seeing it at dawn is the best way because the light is subtle and not too hot, and the crowds haven't yet descended. It is well preserved because of the surrounding moat, and the bas reliefs and stone carvings are so intricate and interesting, each carrying symbolic weight or depicting stories of the Mahayana or the Ramayana (ancient Indian tales.) It is really hard to imagine how these carvings could be so uniform, symmetrical and precise. Extremely skilled craftsmen, and many many devoted hours. They main annoyance in Cambodia thus far, specifically at the temples, is the throngs of barefoot children and women screaming and chasing after you to buy little trinkets, postcards, silk scarves, jewelry and food. It is unbearable, and I can't bring myself to buy a single thing because being harassed like that is so uncomfortable. The children are the most manipulative, and the way they try to emotionally bend you every which way makes me really sad....to think that they were trained to do that, and don't have a chance to be in school. It seems like buying things from them will only perpetuate that cycle, and I refuse to support that no matter how hard it is to say no to them. Instead, we try to make conversation with them, and this is often how the conversation begins:
-Where you from?
- we are from the USA
And then they say (all of them say this exactly): Washington D.C. capital. population 326,000,000....
And today a girl stumped us by listing several US capital cities she had learned from tourists...Jon gave her a dollar for being so smart! I wish she could be in school...I am sure she would do very well.

So our subsequent paranoia and avoidance of tuk tuk drivers and peddlers, and people selling scams has been a little bit difficult and a source of frustration for us. Unfortunately, I think sometimes it is just part of traveling in this part of the world. But of course, that doesn't make it right.

-Jesikah

Below: Jon is a big hit with the kids, and played hacky with them at the temples
And bas relief at Angkor